Exiles: Strangers in Time Chapter Two
by LeWordsmith
Summary: The Exiles make their first trip to an alternate reality. Can they learn to work with one another as they proceed with their daunting task to rescue Anakin Skywalker from the clutches of the Dark Side? Chapter finished! Please R&R!
1. Part One

**Exiles: Strangers in Time – A Force to be Reckoned With**

The new team of heroes found themselves outside of a grandiose structure with massive statues on each side of a long row of stairs that led into the complex. In the sky, flying cars zoomed past in organized lanes high above the temple itself. The entire planet was a city, one that was constantly alive with noise and action.

The Tallus that Sam carried actually began to speak to the group in a powerful voice that caught the poor, easily startled Fluttershy off-guard.

_The Jedi Temple, Coruscant, 14 Years Before the Battle of Yavin_

_The Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn was to have died in his deadly fight with Darth Maul. Instead in this reality, his padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi met his end. As a result, the aged Jedi trained the young Anakin Skywalker in Obi-Wan's stead. Years after his training as a Jedi Knight, the Republic has gone to war..._

_Upon confronting the wicked General Grievous on his flagship The Invisible Hand, Qui-Gon and Anakin split up as they attempted to save the life of Supreme Chancellor Bail Organa. Anakin had been unlucky enough to square off against Tyrannus and the evil Sith Lord managed to turn the easily swayed padawan to the Dark Side of the Force. Qui-Gon had rescued the Chancellor, but feared the worst when Anakin had not returned._

_Padmé Amidala had given birth to Anakin's children: Luke and Leia Amidala, and the twins have both been trained in the ways of the Jedi under Qui-Gon. She desperately wishes for the return of Anakin by any means..._

_It is your duty to bring Tyrannus to justice and return Anakin to Padmé alive by any means necessary..._

"That's a mouthful." Fionna remarked as the Tallus ceased glowing, leaving the six heroes standing awkwardly outside of the Jedi Temple. "So how do we even start? How are we supposed to know who this 'Anakin' guy is?"

"I dunno," Sam said as he scratched his head. "but I get the feelin' that we showed up in the wrong spot."

The group looked as the hobbit pointed ahead of them, watching as a few robed figures patiently made their way towards them. Two of which were human in appearance and the other was a green, squat creature which hovered above the ground on some sort of platform.

"Greetings," One of the humans spoke up, hailing the odd group of six with his hand. "I am Qui-Gon Jinn and these are my fellow Jedi, Master Yoda and Master Mace Windu. We have sensed your arrival through the Force."

"EEP!" Fluttershy squeaked once again, hiding behind the thick leg of the Autobot of their group. She shyly peeked out as Sam worked up his courage to speak to them.

"Hello Mister Qui-Gon," Sam was unsure if he were royalty or not but he bowed anyway. "My name is Samwise Gamgee and these are my friends," He indicated the group with a slight turn of his head, unsure if they would mind being called such. While they were all just 'acquaintances', they still had a common goal ahead of them.

"That and more, we know. From this timeframe, you are not." Yoda interjected.

"No sir! We're um... um..." Sam pondered for a long moment before he remembered something Legion had mentioned before they had left. He had called them: _Exiles. _"We're Exiles, sir."

"You are all welcome here, Samwise. We can offer all of you a safe haven here at the Jedi Temple for as long as you need." Qui-Gon smiled and looked to the rather eclectic group: two droids, a winged and hoofed being, a child-sized humanoid, a teenage girl, and a nude creature that held its eyeballs within its hands. "Please, follow us."

"We are curious, however." Mace Windu said sternly as the group was about to follow the three Jedi Masters into the Temple. "We sensed your arrival, and we can also sense that there is no overwhelming evil within you, but we do not know why you have come."

"Temporal shifts throughout adjacent timestreams have indicated flaws which require significant repairs." Legion explained, though it warranted a rather confused look from the aged Master.

"I... see. And you are the 'repairmen'?"

"Affirmative."

"I... see." Mace looked to the others, hoping for more clarification despite Legions rather wordy and detailed explanation.

"It's a long story," Kup sighed as he watched where his feet fell if only to ensure he didn't step on anyone. "So lemme give you a short version..."

* * *

><p>Kup's short version of their tale took longer than one could expect, and after several awkward introductions and explanations of why they had come to this specific timestream, the Jedi Masters conferred with each other to agree on how to assist the Exiles.<p>

"We have contacted Padmé and informed her of your arrival as well. We thought it was best seeing as you mentioned her specifically by name. She is very eager to speak with you."

Qui-Gon had done his best with accommodating the group, fitting them with one of the larger empty dormitories not just because of the size of their group, but because of the size of one of their members... which still was impossible for them to fit him within the room. Instead, they housed Kup in the hangar bay and set him up with a holographic projector so that he could still speak to his friends.

"I do hope you accept our apologies, Kup. We rarely have visitors your size stay very long within the Temple."

"It's alright, lad. We had things much worse back in the war. We were pinned down by the enemy about twelve-hundred kilometers away from our ship-"

"My apologies once more, but there may be more pressing matters at hand."

"Right. Sorry..."

"Master Qui-Gon!" Two voices called out, one male and the other female. Two children rushed into the room, hugging the aging Jedi around the legs with bundles still in their arms. "Master Qui-Gon! Are these your friends?"

The Jedi smiled and nodded. "Indeed. This is Samwise Gamgee,"

"'Ello." Sam waved shyly to the children.

"Wow! Is he a padawan like us, Master?" Luke asked.

"No, I'm afraid not. He's come a very long way for an important mission."

"Look Luke! Isn't she pretty?" Leia said as she quickly made her way towards Fluttershy. "What's your name?"

"Oh! I'm Fluttershy..." Her voice trailed off a little, shying away from the child a little but feeling more comfortable with a younger human than many strange ones.

Luke found himself intrigued with Legion who entertained the padawan for a few moments with long strings of technical speak which warranted various responses. Mostly "uh-huh", "wow", or "that's weird!"

"Oh we almost forgot!" Luke and Leia held out their arms, showing off the bundles. "Clothes for you!"

"Clothes?" Krumm had never worn clothes before, but he did stand out far more because of it. It was explained to him earlier that "decency" was to be exhibited while in the Temple.

"Yup! Master Qui-Gon said to bring you some clothes if you didn't have none." Leia smiled, showing that she had been missing a few teeth. "Like her pretty dress that got all tored up."

Leia had indicated Fionna's ripped dress (one that very much resembled that of Princess Serenity's from Sailor Moon) and offered her one of the bundles. The teen graciously accepted the clothes and held them up to her body.

"Gee, thanks!" Fionna blushed, having forgotten that her dress had been ripped in a confrontation with the Ice Queen before being brought from her own time.

"You're kinda stinky, Mister." Luke said as he held his nose, passing off the clothes to the monstrous Krumm.

"Thanks!" He said proudly, putting his eyeballs into his mouth to keep his hands free to take the clothes. "Umm... how do you wear these?"

"Rudimentary assessment shows that our individual 'clothes' have been modified per our body types. Equine for Fluttershy. Utilitarian for Krumm." Legion said as he too had never worn clothes but did so if only to conform.

"These are very... nice?" Fluttershy wasn't too sure either, but with some slight assistance from Leia and Luke, she managed just fine getting into her new outfit.

After everyone had changed and gotten used to their clothes and arrangements, they met very briefly with Padmé in regards to Anakin.

"I apologize for being so late," Padmé bowed her head. "I just need to know: you _will_ bring Anakin back, yes?"

"We're gonna try, Miss Padmé." Sam encouraged.

"Right. We promise not to harm him either." Fionna added, but she was cut off by Legion once more.

"Statistical odds of bringing back someone such as Skywalker entirely unscathed are 3,876,343 to 1. Current injuries not-withstanding."

"Oooookay. Then we're gonna get Anakin back to you _alive_." Fionna shot a look to Legion who merely stared at her with his flashlight of an eyeball and spoke up as if expected to answer.

"Seven to one."

"Seven to one sounds pretty good to me." Krumm said as he reached up onto the tray of food placed before him, devouring it and all of the contents on it. "Mmm! Tableware..."

"I wasn't never any good with odds and numbers, but you have our word Miss Padmé that Anakin will be comin' back with us." Sam once again reassured her.

"You gonna eat that?" Krumm pointed to the empty plates before his friends who all could only stare at him incredulously.

* * *

><p>"So what's the plan?" Fionna asked as they stood within the hangar bay of a large Republic flagship bound for the Outer Rim Territories. Each of the Exiles had been fitted with their own Jedi Robes, each comfortable enough for them to move about in. Some of them had foregone the shoes while others did without the cloaks. Kup had suggested it was best for him not to wear anything as it would only hinder his ability to transform.<p>

Qui-Gon presented the group with a holomap of a large planetoid that slowly spun about on its axis. "This is the result of secret plans made by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Trade Federation, the Banking Clans and the Techno Union; they've dubbed it the 'Death Star'," Qui-Gon began.

"The story of its construction is of no consequence for your mission, but what you need to know is that Anakin is definitely onboard."

"This 'Death Star', it's a space station?"

"Correct. One capable of destroying entire planets."

"Kinda reminds me of when we faced off against Unicron. Looks like one of his smaller cousins..."

"How do we get in?" Fionna continued from where her first question left off.

"Three teams will split off once we arrive: Legion and myself will board the Death Star using a stolen Separatist craft and ID signatures. Kup and Fluttershy will remain within the cargo bay of the craft until we give the signal. Fionna, Krumm, and Samwise will enter through the ventilation shafts towards the security bridge. Once there, you will deactivate the security on the main hangar level. From there, Kup's team will rendezvous with Legion and I."

"I know a thing or two about navigating sewer pipes," Krumm added. "how different could they be?"

"Good. Krumm will lead Samwise and Fionna through the shafts. After you shut down the security, wait on that level until we arrive." Qui-Gon heaved a heavy sigh as he looked to each of the Exiles.

"I understand you all come from different worlds with different ways of handling situations, but I cannot emphasize this enough: proceed with extreme caution. Darth Tyrannus is ever vigilant and will likely already be aware of our arrival. I can mask our presence for only so long. I can only hope that our plan succeeds."

Everyone looked rather solemn as they had absolutely no idea what they would be up against.

This wasn't like fighting Megatron and the Decepticons...

This wasn't like using the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon...

This wasn't some routine scare to present to the Gromble...

This wasn't like walking into Mordor...

This was nothing like going up against the Collectors...

And this certainly wasn't anything like what the Ice Queen could throw...

"May the Force be with us all..."


	2. Part Two

**Exiles: Strangers in Time – A Force to be Reckoned With **

**Part 2**

The stolen Separatist vessel, a _Wayfarer-_class transport, made its halt far from the man-made moon of destruction, opening its hailing frequencies to contact the space station itself.

"This is the _Daunting Shadow,_ requesting permission to dock. Transmitting ID signatures. Over." Kup spoke up in Qui-Gon's stead, taking the precaution should Tyrannus or Anakin recognize his voice. There was a long period of silence, leaving the Exiles on the edge of their seats. The cargo bay was spacious enough for Kup to fit inside without transforming into his vehicle mode, so all worked well enough there.

"Roger Roger." A mechanical voice replied over the loudspeaker, the shields on one of the docking bays lowering to permit them entry. Qui-Gon breathed a sigh of relief as he brought the shuttle into dock, hoping that this bit of fortune would continue until their mission was over.

Upon landing, Qui-Gon and Legion exited the shuttle only to be greeted by a squad of battle droids who remained at ease while their commander spoke.

"What's in the shuttle?" The commander asked in a squeaky and quite annoying tone.

"Supplies." Qui-Gon bluffed, his clothing nothing like that of a Jedi but more of a Techno Union mechanic. "We've brought a supply truck to use on the more arid, mountainous worlds to aid in the battle against the Republic."

Though the droids could not display facial expressions, the commander nodded and waved Qui-Gon and Legion onward. All the while, Qui-Gon had been masking the presence of Krumm, Fionna, and Sam from the droids sensors as they moved silently towards the ventilation shafts.

"You're sure they can't see us?" Krumm whispered as he tiptoed ever so slowly towards a vent.

"Qui-Gon said they shouldn't be able to detect us." Fionna said as she looked over her shoulder as Legion and Qui-Gon were escorted away. "It looks like it worked."

Sam drew his barrow blade and placed it between where the ventilation grate met the wall and gave a slight pry, the grate falling into Fionna's waiting hands. The teen set down the grate and ushered Krumm and Sam inside. Fionna followed, setting the grate back in place to further mask their presence.

"Okay," Sam reached into his shirt and pulled out the small holo-projector as they surveyed the interior of the Death Star. "this is where Qui-Gon said we need to go." He pointed to a wide array of air shafts that snaked throughout the station, but Krumm seemed to pick up on them very quickly.

"This way!" Krumm took off quickly yet quietly, guiding the two further into the space station. Sam followed closely while Fionna kept up the rear.

"Hey guys?"

"Yeah Krumm?"

"How do we shut down a security system?"

Fionna and Sam exchanged quick glances, each of them cursing the fact they hadn't asked how to do it.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Kup remained in the spacious cargo bay of the ship, patiently waiting for the signal from Qui-Gon.<p>

"You don't have anythin' like this where you're from, do you?"

"Oh heavens no!" Fluttershy shook her head. "In fact, I've never even seen anything like this in my entire life. I'm... not much for flying."

"But you've got those wings on your back. Don't tell me you don't use 'em..."

"I do of course! It's just that when it comes to flying high and fast I'm just not as good as the others."

Kup pondered a moment and rubbed his chin. "You mean your friends back home?"

"Oh yes sir." She nodded. "Rainbow Dash is probably the best flier I know. She's the best in all of Cloudsdale!"

"I know some pretty fancy fliers myself, but none of 'em are anythin' like you. Mostly 'cause we can transform into cars, planes, and the like."

The two sat silently for a moment, each of them shifting nervously as the anticipation grew. Kup was more interested in getting into the action whereas poor Fluttershy was hoping that there would be no action at all. She just wanted to go home.

"We might need your wings on this mission, Fluttershy."

"O-oh goodness no! We mustn't depend on my flying for anything. W-we would be better off letting the others-"

"Don't sell yourself short! You've got 'em for a reason, and you're part of this team for a reason. I know it ain't to be shy and in the background." Kup reassured the pegasus, offering her a kind wink. "We're gonna get through this. I'd bet my energon on it."

* * *

><p>"Wait here," The droid commander ordered as Qui-Gon and Legion were placed within what appeared to be a room used primarily as a shipping office. This meant that they were still on the hangar level but a little further away than they had expected to be. As the droids shut the door behind themselves, Qui-Gon ensured that the door remained closed with a very modest use of the Force.<p>

"Surveillance?" Qui-Gon mouthed, as he made hand motions that made it seem like he was talking about something else. Legion's single eye flashed and shut down the lone camera that had been monitoring the room.

"All audio and video surveillance within this room has been neutralized."

"Good. It won't be very long until someone notices, however." Qui-Gon reached into the pack Legion had been carrying and redressed himself in his Jedi robes, making a motion for Legion to secure the room. The geth complied readily, removing his weapons from the pack to arm himself.

"I apologize, Legion." Qui-Gon waved his hand to open the door of the room. "I will not be accompanying you for the rest of your mission. I will try to buy all of you some time until you reach Anakin. Proceed as planned."

"Acknowledged. We will proceed as directed. May the 'Force' be with you, Master Qui-Gon." Legion nodded and readied his assault rifle, exiting into the hallway with the aged Jedi Master.

Although the remark had been lost on the geth, Qui-Gon managed a smile before taking off down the opposite hallway. The sounds of droids arming themselves and raising an alarm could be heard...

… accompanied by blasterfire.

* * *

><p>"What was that?" Sam asked as the sounds of blasterfire echoed within the ventilation shafts.<p>

"_Master Qui-Gon has provided us with a distraction. This terminal suggests haste in current objectives."_

"And what was _that_?" Sam asked again as the Tallus lit itself up on his arm.

"_We have taken the opportunity to study the 'Tallus' given to us for the purposes of our mission. Analysis shows that we are able to communicate via the Tallus and any temporal exile with a mere thought. Since this terminal is incapable of 'thought', we merely hacked into the Tallus for ease of communication with other temporal exiles."_

"Okay, it's just Legion. Speaking in our heads..." Fionna held her head as the thought of a robot using telepathy was just too much for her to handle in one day on top of everything else.

"_Affirmative."_

"Hey! Maybe he can help us out here." Krumm thought aloud as they popped open one of the ventilation shafts.

"You're onto something, Krumm! Legion! Can you direct us to the security on this level?"

"_One moment. Processing... Your current location is directly above a room adjacent to the main security controls for this level. Proceed with caution."_

"Got it!" Fionna reached into her pack to pull out the sword that Prince Gumball had given her, although in reality it was an item the Ice Queen used to trick her. The human teen swung down into the hallway, landing in a crouch as she helped Krumm and Sam down from the shaft.

"How do we get in?" Sam asked again, though as if fate were messing with them, the doors slid open to reveal two bulbous eyed, blue skinned aliens with wide, toothless mouths.

"What is going on here?" One of them asked, his mouth movements slightly off from his spoken words.

"Hold your noses!" Krumm released a horrid stench from his body, causing the two aliens to collapse into heaps just inside the doorway. Sam and Fionna had been quick enough to spare themselves from breathing in the noxious fumes of Krumm's armpits. "Hehehehehe!"

"Good... going, Krumm." Fionna still held her nose and gave the monster a pat on the back as they worked their way into the room. Computers lined nearly every wall and the central console sat upon a circular dais surrounded by a half-circle of more smaller computer terminals. If anyone was more familiarized with technology it would have been Fionna, but even she seemed stumped.

"Still there Legion?" Fionna spoke up, motioning for Sam and Krumm to keep their eyes out for anyone who could be coming towards the security room.

"_Negative."_

"Goo- wait. You're just now speaking to me! Just now!"

"_This terminal has relocated since our last communication."_

"Don't be so literal! Ugh! _Anyway!_ Can you help us out?"

There was silence.

"Legion? Legion!" Fionna called out, catching the worried gazes of both Sam and Krumm.

* * *

><p>"EEEP!" Fluttershy cried out, ducking behind some of the goods within the cargo bay. The easily startled pegasus peeked out ever so slowly. "W-what's that noise?"<p>

Kup raised his head and turned it in the direction of the sound. "I know my hearin' ain't as good as it used to be, but that sounds like gunfire." Kup rose to his feet, keeping his head down as he walked to the nearest wall. Through the thick metal plating on the ship he could hear the battle more clearly.

"Sounds like someone's been found out." Kup turned to Fluttershy, unsure of what to do. Should he stay here and not know what was going on outside of the ship? Or should he take her with him in order to ensure the safety of one of their allies.

"C'mon Fluttershy! We gotta help 'em!" With that being said, the old Transformer reverted into his vehicle mode and waited for the pony to climb into his truck bed "If you wanna get back home to your friends, we gotta look out for each other!"

"B-but... I'm scared!"

"Think of your friends where you're from: what would they do to save you?"

Fluttershy didn't even have to think of an answer. The images of Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity flashed in her memory and all of which would have easily rushed to her aid.

With a deep breath, Fluttershy hopped into Kup's truck bed and gave a resolute nod.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>Qui-Gon panted as he slashed through the last of the battle droids, leaving piles of mechanical scrap strewn about the hallways of the Death Star. The aged Jedi Master was about to put away his lightsaber when he overheard the ominous metallic rolling coming down the opposite hallway. Two destroyer droids unfolded to block the one hall while more rolling could be heard. In moments, Qui-Gon was surrounded.<p>

"You are here for Skywalker, Jedi?" Came a hissing female voice, the cloaked figure making her way between a pair of droidekas. "He knows that you are here..."

"Then take me to him!" Qui-Gon demanded.

"Such impatience for a Jedi..." The woman pulled back her hood to reveal her pale skin and bald head, her eyes a pure milky white and her clothing nothing more than a few bands of cloth around her chest and a dark skirt that covered her legs.

"Ventress! If Anakin knows I am here, why has he not come to face me himself?"

The woman grinned wickedly. "Because I refuse to allow him the pleasure of slaying you. It is _I_ who should be the Dark Lord's apprentice, not him! And by slaying my Lord's former pupil I hope to make the evidence far clearer to Lord Tyrannus."

"Your views are twisted, Ventress. Allow me to take Anakin back with me and you will most certainly have your wish." Qui-Gon tried to barter, though he knew his words were falling upon deaf ears.

Ventress inhaled deeply as she focused her mind, not worried so much about the Jedi making a move as the four shielded droids kept their lasers trained on him. "You've brought others... eight others..."

Although Qui-Gon was sure that it had only been the seven of them, the Exiles and himself, he had been far too focused on shielding their presence to notice who Asajj was speaking of. His eyes went wide with fear before turning his head in the direction of the hangar.

* * *

><p>"Luke! Come back!" Leia called out to her brother who had departed the ship shortly after Kup and Fluttershy. "I told you we gotta stay in the ship!"<p>

"I'm just scoutin', Leia." The child said as he snuck about the massive hangar, peeking out from behind one of the cargo crates that had been left behind. He ducked down when he heard the doors at the far left open, the metallic steps of a figure far heavier than any battle droid echoing throughout the hangar.

"This is the ship?" A voice was soon placed to the sound. One slightly metallic and grating yet more natural than that of a droid.

"Yes sir, General. It boarded just moments ago. The entire level is on alert and the above and below levels are locking themselves down as we speak." The droid commander explained.

"Good." The figure slowly loped further into the hangar, metallic claws clicking with every step. "And the intruder is a Jedi?"

"Luke!" Leia called out again, tugging furtively on her brother's cloak. The other boy hushed his sister and clamped his hand over her mouth to shush her.

"Yes, General. We think he stowed away on the ship and brought reinforcements."

"Luke," Leia whispered. "what do we do?"

"We gotta get out of here." The young boy had to think quickly as the metallic footsteps seemed to draw closer.

"I will inspect the ship myself. Keep your eyes open for any sign of the Jedi or his companions." Grievous hissed, his cloak draped across his body to make him look more like a ghastly spectre than a mostly mechanical general.

"Leia." Luke pointed to an empty, overturned crate. "We're gonna play hide-and-seek." The child grinned at his sister, holding her hand tightly before making a dash towards the empty crate.

* * *

><p>Legion ducked into an alcove, prepping his rifle once again as throngs of droids continued to converge on his location. The geth had handled far worse odds alongside Commander Shepard, so this was simply nothing to him as within moments he had already hacked into several of the droids central processors.<p>

Droids fired upon droids, giving Legion the covering fire needed to reposition himself as he sprinted down the hallway, elbowing the hacked droids on his way past. They did not fire upon him and kept their blasters trained on their unfortunate comrades until none were left standing.

His central eye flashed as his sensors picked up other sounds coming from the X-shaped hallway as three destroyer droids rolled up and unfurled to place their shields. Legion attempted to hack them quickly but it seemed that their systems were a bit too complex to take over within a matter of seconds. The geth ducked down one hallway route, back to the wall as the droids opened fire and slowly approached.

"EEEEEP!" Fluttershy cried out as she ducked down and held on for dear life as the transformed Kup barreled into one of the three droids who turned to open fire upon him instead. Several blaster shots rang out and pierced through Kup's metal plating, causing his control over himself to waver just a bit before skidding to a halt.

"Are you... okay, Fluttershy?" Kup asked, his voice sounding labored.

"Y-y-yeah..." She replied shakily.

"Good, 'cause we're makin' another round!" His tires peeled out on the floor as he struck into the other two droids, taking heavy fire once again but not before rolling over one completely and pinning the other to the wall. The Autobot transformed, his face rather dented and scratched as well as several fluids leaking from his wounded body. Kup stood the best he could but collapsed to one knee.

"Massive damage sustained. Suggest returning to terminal for repairs." Legion made his way from the hallway towards Fluttershy and Kup, scanning the old bots wounds.

"Naw, this ain't nothin'..." Kup coughed, his hand covering his mouth to hold in the purple fluid that was filling it.

"No! You're seriously hurt!" Fluttershy made her way to him, unsure of how to go about mending a robot. "W-what do we do?" The pegasus looked expectantly to Legion, hoping another robot would have a more definite answer.

Legion straightened up and turned his head to the far hallway. "Primary objective is to obtain Skywalker. Overriding objective is to ensure safety of teammates. Conflicting objectives. One must choose."

"Ch-choose? We can't leave him!" Fluttershy tried her best to help pull Kup to his feet, but his body was far too heavy for her to lift.

"G'on! I'll follow the best I can. These old rotors ain't lasted this long for nothin'... it reminds me of the time I was pinned on Golganath VII after comin' head-to-head with-"

"Kup appears to be functioning as normal again. Current objective is to rendezvous with Samwise and other Exiles." Legion interrupted, possibly not one for long-winded war stories.

"Wait..." Kup coughed again, bracing himself on the wall. "Where's Qui-Gon?"


	3. Part Three

**Exiles: Strangers in Time – A Force to be Reckoned With**

**Part 3**

Leia tugged on her brother's robe once again before the young padawan was struck with an idea. Luke picked up a lonesome hydrospanner and tested its weight in his hand as he peeked over the stacked crates. He could see the gruesome form of General Grievous lurching into the _Daunting Shadow_, thankfully disappearing from sight. The padawan could also see the droid commander standing watch, likely on alert for Qui-Gon or the others.

Luke raised the spanner up and lobbed it as hard as he could over the droid commanders head, ushering Leia towards the overturned crate. The two scrambled inside of it after they heard the resounding _CLANG_ of the tool hitting the metal-plated floor.

"What was that?" The droid commander squeaked, making its way towards the source of the noise.

Luke breathed a sigh of relief and looked to his sister. "We should be okay now."

"Luke," Leia whined. "what about Master Qui-Gon? We shoulda waited on the ship."

"If we waited then that robot birdman woulda found us!" He said as he and his sister slid the crate slowly towards one of the open hangar doors leading into the bowels of the Death Star.

"We're gonna get into trouble, Luke. That birdman didn't seem very nice..."

"'Course he's not nice, Leia! He's on a ship called the _Deaf Star_!"

* * *

><p>Qui-Gon deflected yet another blow from the female Sith, his emerald-hued blade clashing with one of two crimson ones. The energy between the two sparked and forced the elder Jedi to push her away by means of the Force.<p>

"You cannot win, Jedi." Ventress hissed, raising her humming blades to frame the sides of her face. "Even if you manage to defeat me, you will not defeat Skywalker _or_ my Lord. Your fate is sealed."

"The Dark Side clouds your vision, Ventress." Qui-Gon said as he quickly assessed the field of battle. "It lies to you and makes you believe that victory is already within your grasp. I tell you this now: if you persist, you will not win."

"_FOOL!_" The pale Sith lunged at the Jedi, swinging her flashing red blades furiously as he deflected each oncoming blow. Her fury made her blows stronger, but they were certainly less precise than they could have been. Though his intention may have been to talk her down, he could have also been trying to goad her on and cause her to lose her focus in order to grant himself an opening.

"I am afraid that you are mistaken," Qui-Gon spun to his left, avoiding a scissoring blow from the woman's lightsabers, his own blade connecting with her hamstring. A venom-imbued hiss erupted from her as she crumpled to one knee, her pale leg exposed from under her skirt. Her flesh was scored black, and the blood already congealed from contact with the Jedi's blade of energy. "for only a fool allows her emotions to get the better of her."

"Jedi..." Asajj growled through her clenched teeth, her milky-white eyes filling with tears. "... kill me."

"I refuse to harm someone who has already done so much harm to herself." Qui-Gon kept his eyes on the wounded Sith and the droidekas surrounding them. He knew at any time Ventress could give them the order to gun him down where he stood, but he kept alert despite fatigue setting in on his aged body.

"If you do not kill me, my Master will. He will not condone my failure..."

"Allow me to pass and you needn't worry about what he will or will not condone."

A long silence passed. Though her wound had likely left her leg crippled, she would still live. Asajj's thoughts raced through her mind as she plotted revenge. One could see it in the way she grimaced.

"Go, Jedi." Ventress replied calmly. "I will not forget this..."

"And neither will I." He gave her a nod of thanks, disengaging his blade as the droidekas parted to the sides of the hall to allow him passage. He _would_ get to Anakin. He simply had to...

* * *

><p>"Let's try this one." Sam said as he flicked a few switches on the control panels. The other buttons lit up in an odd pattern, flashing yellow, then red, then purple. The trio had no clue what effect they were having throughout the current level, but at least they made some progress. Sam turned his head upward as he watched the doors to the room shut and lock as a result of his most recent button push. "At least the doors are shut."<p>

"Yeah, but that doesn't help us shut down the security." Fionna said as she finished tying up the two aliens that Krumm had knocked out earlier with his stench. She thought it awfully handy that when their hobbit companion was brought from his reality that his pack and goods were still within it. Namely the provisions and tools including the rope she used to bind their captives up with.

"When the Gromble wants to watch our scares, we get hooked up to the Scare Chair so he can see it through our eyes." Krumm mentioned, juggling his eyeballs back and forth between his hands. "Maybe we can hook those guys up to something like that?

The hobbit moved away from the consoles and gave Krumm a pat on the back. "No, but maybe we could get 'em to tell us how it works." Samwise was a bit upset that he hadn't thought of that sooner, but now they at least had the means to do so.

"'Ey!" Sam poked one of the semi-conscious Neimoidians with his finger, drawing his barrow blade to wave before them. "How do we go about usin' these to shut off the security?"

"I don't know what you are talking about!" The bulbous-eyed alien bluffed, fearfully tightening his lips.

Sam gripped him by the scruff of his collar and held the sharp blade to the Neimoidians throat. "I won't be askin' again: either show us or tell us how to turn it off! Now!"

"P-please! Don't hurt me!" The man begged, turning his head away from the blade as it neared his neck.

"He's lucky he didn't get Snortched." Krumm added as he stood beside the captive alien.

"You need to put in the override codes! I will tell you... just please spare me that wretched creature's stink!"

"Hehehehehe!" Krumm chuckled while Fionna stood at the appropriate console to input the codes.

* * *

><p>"Alright, I'll go back to the ship, but if things get too dicey, you let me know. Alright, lad?" Kup reluctantly turned around and ushered Fluttershy along. He couldn't understand why she felt the need to dote upon him and his injuries, because after all, he was an old soldier from Cybertron; he could handle himself well enough.<p>

The pink-maned pegasus flitted gently beside him as he made the long walk down the hall over piles of broken droids; many of which were a result of Kup running over them.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look really hurt... and you're limping." Fluttershy stated softly, her eyes showing just how deeply concerned she was. No matter who it was, be they big or small, Fluttershy always cared about their safety and well-being. Her friends were especially well-looked after.

"This? It's nothin'. Just an old-" Kup trailed off as he and Fluttershy saw a single crate slowly inching towards them on the floor. Fluttershy shrieked and hid behind the wounded Autobot, trembling in fear from the sight of a "haunted box".

"What in the name of Cybertron...?" Kup reached down to place his hand atop the crate which ceased its movements for the time being and with a quick movement he hoisted the empty container upward. Both Exiles were shocked to see the young children of Padmé Amidala staring straight up at them.

"Luke! It's the pretty pony!" Leia exclaimed, though the pegasus was not about to ignore the fact that they were children in a very dire and dangerous situation.

"You two shouldn't be here. It's not a place for two children to be..."

"I tolded him, Miss Fluttershy but Luke wouldn't listen! He said it'd be okay if we just stayed on the ship!" Leia tattled.

"But you kids aren't on the ship anymore," Kup scolded, looking down the hallway from where they came from. "and you kids could have been seriously hurt or worse. What if someone found you?"

"The birdman almost found us." Luke said as he pointed back to the hangar.

"Bird... man?" Fluttershy seemed a bit confused, but given what she had been through in the past twenty-four hours anything was certainly possible.

"Uh huh! He was tall and metal and got on the ship!" Luke explained.

Kup and Fluttershy quickly exchanged glances and both knew that they had to warn the others.

"Umm, excuse me? Is this um... working?"Fluttershy focused her thought aloud, her voice loud and clear in the minds of the other Exiles. Thankfully, Legion managed to explain the means of communication to the shy pegasus.

"_Yeah Fluttershy, we hear you. What's up?"_ Fionna responded immediately.

"Um... Luke and Leia are here." She said as the two gave slight tugs to each of her wings.

"Tell 'em we said 'hi'! Tell 'em!" They said in unison, the shy equine trying to hush them as politely as possible.

"They said 'hi'..."

"_Okay... Fluttershy, uh, why are they here on the ship?" _Samwise chimed in, his voice concerned for the safety of the two Amidala children.

"They um, stowed away."

There was a long silence before the group responded again.

"They have to get back on the ship. It's dangerous..."

"That's um... another thing..."

Another silence.

"Fluttershy... what's happened?"

* * *

><p>General Grievous had searched every nook and cranny on the ship, having torn open the insides quite literally. Nothing. No sign of intruders, stowaways, or Jedi. The cybernetic General strode swiftly out of the starship, motioning for his droid commander to come close.<p>

"Has there been any sign of the Jedi or his companions?"

"No sir! There was a noise earlier but..."

"A _noise_?" Grievous craned his mechanical neck over the battle droid and scanned the hangar with his eerie yellow eyes before focusing back on the commander. "Put levels forty-eight through fifty-two on high alert. I have a feeling that the Jedi has-"

Grievous found himself cut off mid-order as the lights of the hangar dimmed, showing only red, emergency flashing lights. The doors leading into the hangar on the main floor as well as the ones on the upper level swung open, leading into dark hallways illuminated only by the emergency lights.

"Mobilize all available units, Commander! The Jedi has disabled the security on this level..." Grievous heard a slight beeping at his waist and held up a small transmitting device.

"_General Grievous,"_ A visage of the elder Sith Lord, Tyrannus, came into view as something of a small, blue figure. Standing behind him was a cloaked figure, almost completely hidden from view. _"we have reason to believe that my old apprentice has found his way onto the station. What is the situation where you are?"_

"My Lord," Grievous bowed his head and continued to speak, his voice still very much metallic and grating. "the Jedi has sent saboteurs to the security room on this level. I have ensured that all available droids are moving to-"

"_No." _Tyrannus belayed. _"Allow them to regroup. I will have them dealt with."_

"But my Lord, I-"

"_No objections, General. You are to remain where you are should the intruders try to escape."_

Grievous fumed, taking in a deep, unencumbered breath. "Yes... my Lord..."

* * *

><p>Legion skulked through the darkened halls of the Death Star, his solitary, luminescent eye flashing as a small squadron of droids marched past the alcove he had pressed himself into. The geth peered out after they had gone, continuing down the hallway towards the security room. He could see two bound humanoids and his three companions clearly despite the darkness.<p>

"Samwise. Fionna. Krumm." Legion acknowledged them, lowering his weapon as he focused on the two bound aliens.

"We don't gotta worry about them." Samwise assured their robotic friend. "What about the kids? Are they okay?"

"Affirmative. Kup and Fluttershy have provided the children with an escort."

"What about Qui-Gon? He told us he'd be here too." Fionna looked to Sam to make sure. "That _is_ what he said, right?"

"Master Qui-Gon has provided a distraction while we continue the search for Skywalker."

"A distraction? He's not meetin' with us?" Sam stepped forward and looked most concerned for their aged Jedi companion. "How're we gonna do this without him?"

A seething hiss rang out as the flashing red lights of the hall lit up the dark figure in the doorway, the slight dragging of a boot upon the floor nearly silenced by the confusion in the halls. The figure raised her head, speaking through clenched teeth.

"I owe it to the Jedi... I will help you..."


	4. Part Four

**Exiles: Strangers in Time – A Force to be Reckoned With**

**Part 4**

"It has been a long time, my old apprentice." Tyrannus turned from viewing the eternal blackness of space through the viewport to face the aged Jedi who had struck down the droid guards stationed outside the room. The Sith Lord did seem quite pleased to see that Qui-Gon had made it this far, having underestimated the skills of his former student.

"Where is Anakin, Dooku?" Qui-Gon's breathing had become labored, though his use of the Force to guide his movements had been taking its toll on his body. Further use of the Force as a crutch would be too disastrous and could lead down a dark, winding road. A road the wizened Master refused to go down...

"Master..." Anakin seethed as he emerged from the darkness, his gloved hands tearing back the hood of his cloak to reveal his scarred face. His hair had been kept long, worn in a style reminiscent of his former Master's. The new Sith apprentice flicked his wrist at his waist, a crimson saber igniting within his palm as he neared Qui-Gon through the darkness.

"Allow me to introduce you," Dooku motioned from atop his platform towards the corrupted Anakin Skywalker. "this is my new apprentice: Darth Vader."

"Anakin! Listen to me! I've come to save you-"

"Save me? _Save me?_ What are you saving me from _Master?_ The lies that the Jedi have been pounding into our heads? The falsehoods in which the Republic is based on? I don't wish to be saved. You've wasted your time..." Anakin growled through his teeth and lunged at Qui-Gon, clashing his vibrant scarlet blade to the humming jade beam of energy.

"It's not too late, Anakin. There is still time-"

"There is no _TIME_, Master! Not anymore!" The enraged Sith pushed his former Master away with a violent use of the Force, snarling as he sent swipe after furious swipe at the elder Jedi. Qui-Gon kept his footing and pace, slowly backing in circles within the room while he deflected every rough attack.

The elderly Jedi grunted as one swift swing from Anakin's blade sent him reeling backward, colliding with the metal stairs leading up to Dooku's platform. The enraged Sith apprentice continued his assault, pounding blow after blow on the weakened Jedi who tried to ascend the stairs while still deflecting the furious attacks.

"Most impressive, Master Jinn." Dooku said as he approached from the top of the platform, his steely gaze upon the exhausted Jedi. "But how will you fare against against _two_ skilled saber users?"

As Dooku began his series of slashes and swipes, Qui-Gon knew he had to react quicker than he had been. The deadly back and forth of his green blade switching between his two opponents sent a rush of adrenaline through the Jedi, allowing him to skillfully deflect each passing blow.

So there it was; a man against his former teacher and former student, both ready to end him...

* * *

><p>The Exiles had to hurry. As time was winding down, their objectives had broadened:<p>

-Find Anakin

-Arrest Tyrannus

-Rescue Qui-Gon

-Protect the twins

Sam could feel the weight of the mission bearing down on his shoulders as he and the others ran alongside their most uncouth of allies. Though they moved at a hurried pace, they were still moving far slower than they had anticipated due to their ally's injury.

"Here, let me help you." Fionna placed herself under Asajj's right arm to compensate for her body's weight distribution. The Sith was not pleased by the need for a crutch, but it was indeed welcomed if it got them moving quicker. She gave a firm nod of thanks to the adventuress, her slender finger pointing towards one of the longer corridors.

"There. That turbolift will take us to the next floor," She took in a seething breath. "and my Master."

Sam wasn't too keen on trusting the stranger, especially if she had once been an enemy. Though they never faced her personally, her story recounting her battle with Qui-Gon on the station was enough for the young hobbit to distrust the wounded Ventress.

"You're quite lucky Mister Qui-Gon let you live." Sam said after a long period of awkward silence. "If it were me, I wouldn't have been so nice..."

"Believe me, little one... I demanded that the Jedi take my life, yet here I stand before you."

Sam scowled as they entered the lift, keeping a wary eye on the Sith woman who accompanied them. Krumm and Fionna could sense the tension emanating from their friend, each trying to reassure him with subtle glances.

"Asajj Ventress displays many similarities to this terminal. Where Commander Shepard was once an enemy of the Geth, we are now allied with Shepard. Ventress was once an enemy of Master Qui-Gon, we are now allied with Ventress." Legion explained as they ascended to the next highest level.

"That wouldn't work where I come from," Krumm added. "because monsters and humans don't really get along. We scare humans because we have to and humans don't like being scared."

"I guess it just depends where... err... _when_ we come from." Fionna kept her eyes peeled for any sight of Qui-Gon as the doors opened and she assisted Ventress out of the lift.

"You are all very strange." Ventress commented, moving down the hallway. The air smelled of ionized particles, the scent ever so pungent in the halls. The wounded Sith pointed her pale finger towards the far end of the hallway.

"There! I can sense the Jedi ahead... and he is not alone..."

* * *

><p>"Fluttershy," Kup knelt down next to the pegasus who had been trotting carefully beside the young twins. "you've gotta get the kids to safety while I provide you with a distraction. Maybe I'll use the technique we used back on Funghurus Six-"<p>

"No! You can't!" Fluttershy interrupted Kup's rambling. "You're already injured and what if we can't get back to the ship?"

"Oh you'll get there. Just keep 'em safe, 'kay?" Kup quickly limped towards the entrance to the hangar, immediately drawing the attention of the alleged "metal bird man" the children had mentioned earlier.

"Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep mini bong!" Kup kept his hands open at his sides as the droid General narrowed his sickly yellow eyes upon the massive transformer.

"You've chosen some odd last words, intruder." Grievous stated calmly as he flung back his pristine white cloak to reveal his grayish metallic form. Two digitigrade legs ending in vicious talons almost like that of some avian creature, a thin frame built more for flexibility and speed, and two grisly clawed hands each wielding a glowing blade of energy.

"Guess the universal greetin' ain't so universal." Kup said as he drew his blaster, firing a few shots at the much smaller cyborg.

Grievous ducked to the left to dodge one shot and bent backwards to flip out of the way of two more blasts from the aged robots blaster. The droid General dropped to all fours, scuttling beneath the _Daunting Shadow_ to escape Kup's line of sight like a roach fleeing from a well-lit room.

"_You keep them outta sight, okay 'Shy?" _Kup thought, trying not to give away their location. He kept his blaster trained on the underside of the ship, his old optics trying to see if the enemy had emerged from elsewhere in the hangar. Those kids may not have been part of their mission before, but they were definitely a big part of it now. Kup was far too injured to stay alongside the others, and Fluttershy was too easily scared to accompany the other Exiles on such a dangerous part of the mission.

"Where are you hidin'?" Kup said as he took a slow, cautious step towards the _Shadow_. He couldn't discern from the shadows where Grievous was, his auditory sensors picking up the clacking of metal upon metal from beneath the ship. The autobot knelt down to get a better view, his blaster pointed into the darkness.

"Huh?"

Kup couldn't react quickly enough as the droid General pounced from atop the ship onto the grizzled Autobot's back. Grievous clung to Kup like a parasite, digging his claws into the cybertronian metal that comprised the Autobot's form. Kup spun around and tried to reach for the villain, unable to find him with his hands.

"Why you- get offa' me!" Kup backed up towards the wall, slamming into it violently in the hopes of squishing Grievous between his heavy body and the dense plating of the stations interior.

His efforts were valiant but to no avail. The blow hurt Kup more than Grievous, as the crafty foe scrambled away like a cockroach along the wall and pushed off to drive two glowing blades through Kup's arm.

"AAAAAGH!" Kup cried out in agony as the arm was separated from his body, colliding violently with the floor. The cut was clean, though the metal was already molten and bubbling from contact with the lightsaber blade. He knelt down again, this time to nurse his wound with his blaster trained again on Grievous. A few pot shots were taken but each of them failed to connect.

Like a spider, Grievous lunged forward and pierced through Kup's chest with his blades, his reptilian eyes narrowed on the intruder.

"And now... you _die_." He yanked the blades free, Kup's body sent immediately into convulsions as some major internal systems were damaged from the attack. The Autobot slumped to his side, hitting the floor with a dull, metallic thud. Grievous loomed over his defeated opponent, his taloned foot turning Kup's head to the side.

"It'll... take more than... that..." Kup groaned as the light had begun to fade from his optics.

"You've got nothing left." Grievous lowered a blue blade to Kup's throat, ready to decapitate the wounded soldier.

_KAA-THUCK!_

Grievous was sent tumbling backward, rolling into a heap upon the floor. He strained to get up, his shoulder collapsed upon itself. The Separatist General searched frantically for what had collided so viciously with him and was shocked to see the pink-maned, yellow pegasus flitting in the air.

"Leave him alone!" Fluttershy demanded, her eyes conveying just how angry she had become. She was quite sure that the firm buck she had given Grievous would have been enough to deter him from persisting his attack, but her voice quavered when the cyborg stood up.

"A lucky shot, but it will be your last..."

"_Help! Help! HELP!"_

* * *

><p>Legion turned his head sharply and promptly rushed to the elevator. The elevator door closed between himself and the Exiles, parting him from their company.<p>

"Legion? Legion!" Sam called out to their geth companion, but he was already gone. The hobbit slammed his fist against the wall, Krumm placing a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder.

"We've got more to worry about. Look." Fionna turned Sam towards the room Asajj had indicated, the Exiles watching the fight that had been in progress since before their arrival.

Plus an extra combatant.

Qui-Gon had been fending off attacks from both Dooku and Anakin, the Force aiding his movements to deflect one blow and to dodge another. The deadly trio of sabers, one green and two red, filled the air with ionized energy. Ventress had limped forward, adding herself to the mix, however her attacks were not focused on the Jedi: they were focused on Skywalker.

Dooku arched a curious brow as the Sith woman joined the fight, his style changing to accommodate the four combatants. Instead of using one hand to wield his saber, he switched to two, hoping to eliminate his former student and focus his attention solely on the insubordinate Ventress.

Anakin could have cared less. He pushed Ventress away with the Force, his cybernetic hand clenching tight to his saber while he pressed the offensive against his old Master.

"We gotta help 'em!" Fionna tried to scan the battlefield the best she could, though now they had even more difficult objectives ahead of them.

"Wait! If Ventress kills Anakin, we've failed." Sam pointed out. "We've got to stop her!"

The halfling drew his barrow blade and charged headlong into the battle, roaring as he neared the group.

"Samwise! No!" Qui-Gon turned his attention to the Exile for a split second, but that is all that Dooku needed to make his strike. His crimson blade severed Qui-Gon's right arm above the elbow, sending the Jedi sprawling to the floor. Anakin would have pressed the attack were it not for Dooku's blade pointed at the Jedi's throat.

"NO!" Samwise didn't cease his stride as he lunged at Dooku, his body effortlessly lifted and thrown aside by Skywalker. The hobbit grunted and curled up into a ball, cradling his ribs as a sharp pain shot through his body.

Fionna and Krumm had to intervene. Fionna drew the sword given to her by Prince Gumball, rolling into battle between Anakin and Ventress, her pink sword parrying a blow from both red sabers. Her eyes were wide in shock, having expected her blade to have been sliced through like a hot knife through butter.

The mathematical adventuress heaved both blades away, standing at the tip of the combat triangle they had formed.

"Anakin!" Fionna swatted away the female Sith's blade. "Come back with us!"

Another swipe came from Skywalker which Fionna had to spin to dodge. She ducked another errant blow from Ventress and rolled to her feet.

"_Never!_" Anakin hissed as he lashed out with his saber, connecting with the enchanted sword of the adventuress. The two almost came face to face, Fionna's legs trembling as she fought back against Anakin's strength.

"Fionna!" Krumm called out as he ran quickly to the center of the room. He could see that Qui-Gon was under the watchful eye of Dooku. Anakin was prepared to strike down Fionna with Ventress slowly regaining her footing behind the two. Samwise had still been laying upon the floor cradling his ribs.

The monster took in a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly as he exuded the most horrific stench he could muster from within himself. The malodorous scent wafted throughout the confines of the room, catching practically _everyone's_ nostrils, which caused them to break from what they were doing.

Anakin and Ventress covered their mouths with their sleeves and hands respectively while Dooku raised his shirt up above his nose. The stench was enough to dizzy their opponents for some time, leaving Krumm to work his way through the stumbling bodies towards Samwise.

"Sam. Sam!" Krumm shook the halfling and looked around, witnessing Fionna headbutting Ventress in the stomach, crippling the Sith further. Luckily the young heroine had found a clothespin in her pack to put over her nose to block the stink.

"Ugh... _UGH!_ What's that... _smell?_" Samwise said as he regained consciousness, wishing that he hadn't at this point in time.

"Hehehehehe!" Krumm laughed and pointed to the wounded Qui-Gon sprawled out on the stairs. Sam nodded and raised his shirt above his nose as well, heading past the others towards the injured Jedi.

"Not so fast, boy!" Dooku challenged, raising his blade high above his head to bring down upon the small hobbit.

Krumm was right on Sam's heels, rolling one of his eyeballs on the floor behind the Sith Lord. Dooku stepped back as Krumm barreled past, nearly knocking him off of his feet. His arms flailed and his boot came down upon the rubbery eyeball, which promptly tripped Dooku and sent him falling to the floor below. The fall itself was enough to knock the Sith Lord unconscious, indicated by the sound of his skull resounding off of the metal-plated floor.

"Mister Qui-Gon!" Samwise shook their wounded ally, inspecting the severity of his injury. The wound had been cauterized upon completion of the swipe, leaving a burnt section of flesh. The Jedi stirred slightly and raised his head.

"Samwise... get... Anakin..." He groaned, trying to sit up on his own.

"We aren't gonna leave you. We're getting' out of this mess together, you hear me?"

"Where's Dooku?"

"I think he's taking a nap." Krumm said as he scrounged around for his lost eyeball.

Meanwhile, Fionna brought her sword upward to block Anakin's saber once again as the Sith apprentice had been swinging blindly through teary eyes. Her sword connected with his cybernetic wrist, severing the hand from the young Sith. Anakin growled but was soon silenced by a swift upward kick to the jaw.

"Booyah! Who's your momma? Who's! Your! Momma!" Fionna pumped her fist in victory as Anakin slumped to the ground, overwhelmed by the lingering stench and the direct blow to his face. The heroine picked up the limp body of Skywalker and draped his arm over her shoulder.

"C'mon guys! Let's go!"

"Wait! I gotta find my eye!" Krumm said as his palm patted the ground in search of it, quickly being dragged away by Samwise.

"No time! We have to go _now!_" Sam said as he helped Qui-Gon to his feet. The Jedi limped ahead of them, brandishing his lightsaber.

"We... can't leave without... Dooku..." He said through ragged breaths. Both Krumm and Sam went to the Sith's unconscious form and hefted him over their shoulders, dragging him along with them.

"We've got to get to the hangar and get out of here. Fast!" Fionna had already gotten Anakin to the elevator, ushering her fellow Exiles and the wounded Jedi Master into it.

They'd done it. All they had to do now was bring Anakin and Dooku back to Coruscant... but between them and their ship would lie a much more daunting challenge...

* * *

><p>"Please um... I honestly didn't... you see I'm..." Fluttershy was stuttering as she backed herself into some plasteel crates. The shy pegasus whimpered as Grievous loomed over her, his saber raised above his head to deliver a mighty, finishing blow to the interfering equine.<p>

"You're finished." Grievous swung his arm down swiftly, in hopes of ending the yellow pony's life.

_BWOOM-CHAW!_

Fluttershy curled up and cringed, though nothing happened. Her head raised as she saw that the droid General was now missing the arm wielding the glowing blue energy blade. The hand fell to the floor, and another shot rang out in the hangar.

_BWOOM-CHAW!_

Grievous staggered backward, a hole burned into his chest from a sniper round. Two more shots followed, each one connecting with the cyborg. Grievous roared and raised his head in time to see where the shots had originated, but he was far too late to do anything about it.

With one final shot between the eyes, Grievous collapsed to the floor. Dead.

"Area secure." The familiar voice of Legion could be heard and Fluttershy immediately perked up. The pegasus rushed forward with tears in her eyes, nuzzling against the geth affectionately.

"Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She said between frightened sobs. Legion didn't quite understand human or other species' emotions, but he could tell that she was indeed very thankful to be alive.

"Mission parameters indicate safe return of all Exiles. This terminal was only following mission objectives." Legion was never very good with reassuring anyone that what was done was for their safety. It must have been a geth thing.

"But Kup..." Fluttershy turned to the still Autobot, the two children who had been hiding out behind the crates slowly making their way over to him.

"Mister Kup? M-mister Kup?" Luke gave the Autobot a little shake, but the heavy body did not stir. Legion walked over to the motionless body and ran a quick scan.

"Massive damage sustained in recent conflict. Recent injuries seem fatal." Legion stood up straight and looked back to Fluttershy. "There is a high percentage that he will not survive."

"Legion!" Samwise called out as the other Exiles drew closer, the sound of blasterfire ringing out in the hallways. "Legion! Get the kids in the ship!" The hobbit ran as fast as his little legs would carry him, still carrying the heavy Sith Lord alongside Krumm.

The geth took aim and took out several of the battle droids that appeared in the hallway, ushering the children into the _Daunting Shadow _as quickly as he could. Luke and Leia reluctantly left the side of the Autobot as they took up residence in the cargo hold once more.

Sam and Krumm dragged the unconscious Dooku onto the ship, closely followed by Fionna and Anakin. Qui-Gon limped onto the vessel and slumped tiredly into the empty co-pilot seat, groaning as he re-oriented himself. With a few shaky movements of his hand, he managed to start up the engines but the ship still required a pilot.

Fluttershy was next to last to get on the ship, leaving the synthetic Legion to pick up the rear. The geth managed to grab hold of Kup's immobile form and dragged him slowly towards the _Shadow._ Samwise and Fionna emerged to assist him, dragging their companion on board. The boarding ramp raised itself and Legion quickly made his way into the cockpit.

"Commence evacuation of station." He flicked a few switches, raising the ship up off of the hangar floor and quickly spun it within the wide confines of the station. With a blast of the engines, Legion took out the pursuing droids and completed the escape from the Death Star.

Once they were safely en route to Coruscant, the Exiles tended to their own wounds and those of their allies and quarry.

"You sure you're okay?" Fionna asked as she nursed Qui-Gon's wound.

"I'll be fine. It's not as bad as it looks."

"My eye..." Krumm said solemnly, clenching his empty hand as if expecting to still feel the eyeball there.

"What are we getting' ourselves into?" Samwise asked aloud, possibly expecting an answer from one of his comrades. Everyone remained silent however as if at a loss for words. "Kup is... he's... he's..."

"He's become one with the Force, Samwise." Qui-Gon replied, placing his good hand on the hobbit's shoulder. The Jedi scanned the room and noted the sullen looks on the Exile's faces, all because of the loss of their friend and ally. The halfling sobbed and buried his face in Qui-Gon's leg, bawling sorrowfully as they continued their trip.

Fluttershy laid quietly off to the side, having been much closer to Kup in the recent hours. He'd taught her much in such a short time, but that's all the time they had. She too began to cry, hiding her face with her hooves. This of course made the children start to cry as well as they sat upon the floor, rubbing their eyes as the tears streamed down their cheeks.

"It's not fair!" Fionna kicked an empty container over out of frustration. "That Timebroker guy should have been able to help him. Shouldn't he?"

"From brief observation of the Tallus and the entity known as 'Timebroker', it is impossible to discern the ability in which he could assist us. Were it within his capability, this 'Timebroker' could have fixed the fractured timelines himself without our assistance." Legion explained.

"But what do we do now?" Krumm asked, half-expecting an answer and half-expecting silence as before.

Sam sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "We finish this. For Kup. For ourselves. If we don't finish it then what? Kup's sacrifice would be in vain."

"R-right." Fluttershy said as she gently flitted towards the group, her wings folding against her sides. "If it weren't for Kup... the children would most certainly have been caught." She nodded, her face taking on a certain amount of resolve.

"So we just keep going until we fix them all?" Fionna remarked, clearly ready for adventure but unsure if the rest of the group could handle it.

"Right. Didn't the Timebroker say that if we fixed things, everything would go back to the way they were? That means that Kup would still be alive and back where he came from!" This spurred on the Exiles as they nodded in agreement.

"Then we gotta finish this..."

* * *

><p>The Exiles were gathered at a funeral service at the Jedi Temple, watching as the body of their comrade Kup was put upon a pyre to be cremated. He was put in a peaceful position, left as whole as he could be as he was surrounded by offerings from the Jedi and Padmé herself.<p>

"I am so sorry for your loss." Padmé said to the Exiles, each of which having been clothed in ceremonial Jedi robes. "The lives of my children and their father were within your care. I know in my heart that Kup did not die in vain. He, and you my friends, have my eternal thanks." The Senator bowed her head to the group who returned the gesture before turning their attention back to the pyre.

Shortly after the ceremony, the Exiles returned to the area outside the Temple where they had first arrived and met Qui-Gon and the other Jedi Masters. Though their numbers were one short, they still stood together as one.

Qui-Gon extended his newly acquired prosthetic hand to Samwise, the unofficial leader of the Exiles, who shook it without hesitation.

"My friends, you've certainly done quite the amazing things in the past few days. Were it not for your valiant efforts, Anakin would have surely remained on the Dark Side. You've defeated General Grievous, brought Count Dooku to justice, and saved my life. I owe you all a great deal."

Samwise looked to his fellow Exiles who had all grown much more experienced after such an ordeal. Most went back to wearing their normal clothes, others left their clothes behind as they were far too used to not wearing them, and some had acquired a taste for them.

Krumm flexed his empty hand within a tight black glove, representing an eyepatch of sorts to make up for his missing eyeball. It would have to do.

"May the Force be with you..." Qui-Gon said as the Exiles began to fade from sight, disappearing into yet another pink portal which was ready to send them on to the next reality...

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE:<br>I hope you can all forgive my absence as I've had much going on outside of this Fanfic. I had updated as soon as I could without rushing things and for a time I had experienced some terrible writer's block. Now that it's gone (hopefully) I can continue with this story. Please make sure to follow my Author Page to keep up with this story as Chapter 3 is going to be another story altogether.**

_**Exiles:**_

**Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings [Film])**

**Kup (Transformers: The Movie [Animated Film])**

**Krumm (Aah! Real Monsters [Cartoon])**

**Fionna (Adventure Time! [Cartoon])**

**Legion (Mass Effect 2 [Video Game])**

**Fluttershy (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic [Cartoon])**

**Please R&R folks! Your positive comments keep me going! ^-^**


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